The Bad Dreams Are Over
by FazzyGrl.22
Summary: After Xehanort is finally defeated, Terra knows something is still not right. Only one person can heal his soul and make him whole. TerraXAqua


**The Bad Dreams Are Over**

**A/N: **This is the updated and long version of _**Bad Dreams Are Over**_ from my old account: UnveiledHope. Please read and fave this, if you faved that one! Thanks!

As for inspiration, credit goes to the movie _Unbreakable_ by M. Night Shyamalan. The second-to-last scene in that movie was a big part of making this little story in my head. It's really a beautiful scene. If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about. :)

**ooo**

"In your hand take this key. So long as you have the makings. . ."

How did the rest go? It seemed like an eternity since Terra had quoted those words to his friends, and here he was, a little more than ten years later, finally a master - and not getting any younger.

Ventus was at the peak of his training and would easily become a master in any day. Although he should have been a master long ago, his training was… a bit delayed, to say the least. But better late than never, and his progression was running smoothly. At that moment, Ventus was out on the training grounds with two new friends. The exact same friends who had rescued them last year. Sora and Riku. Two guys who were so different, and yet their strong friendship helped save worlds, not to mention, found and rescued Terra and his two best friends.

Everything was back to normal now. The darkness had been overthrown, all were reunited. Terra had battled the evil Xehanort, succumbed to the darkness, and had finally overthrown it. Peaceful times were here, and yet, here he was… sitting alone in his room. He was back in the real world, no longer lingering between darkness and nothingness. It had been ten long years of that and recuperating from it all had not been easy, and yet, he was finally getting used to normal life again. Heck, Ventus had even gotten him to laugh once.

But there was still something… not quite right. Was it the nightmares? He had been having them ever since he was young. And yet, he had won all the battles and everything was at peace, so wouldn't the nightmares be a thing of the past? He always figured that the darkness in his heart was a part of the nightmares, so why was he still having them? Yeah, something just wasn't right. He had had a nightmare the previous night. It had been about his master's death.

Was that an event he was ever going to forget? Not likely. He was the reason for Eraqus' death, all because he was a gullible fool and was convinced Eraqus had become the villain. That man, who wanted nothing but to keep the light safe, and who had been the father he never had… and he had struck him down.

He buried his face in his hands. _Stupid. . . Stupid. I can never forgive myself for killing one of the greatest Keyblade masters of all time. . .Stupid!_

**Knock knock knock.** _What now?_ He shot an angry glare at the bedroom door. He was in a deep funk. Now was not the time for someone like Ven to bug him. This and many other thoughts were buzzing in his head as he opened his bedroom door. He was so distracted that he almost didn't recognize the person in front of him. But he recognized those eyes… blue, like the ocean sparkling on a sunny day.

"Aqua?"

"Hey, Terra." His childhood friend gently smiled at him. She seemed fidgety, pushing strands of that deep blue hair behind her ears.

He had always been fascinated about that color. Even when she was little, it had been a deep blue shade that nicely contrasted against clear blue skies. He had never met anyone else who had that shade for a hair color. It was - pretty.

"How are you today?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm fine."

"Feeling better than you were yesterday?"

"That's how it goes, right?"

Aqua smiled. "Yeah, sure."

There was an awkward pause as both stood at Terra's doorway. Ever since they had been reunited, conversation between them had been somewhat strained, to both their dismay.

Finally, Aqua broke the silence.

"Listen, Terra. I…" She folded her arms and shifted weight from one leg to the other. "You see… I mean… I've been thinking that, uh, I guess… Ever since that day when we all got back together, it occurred to me that… Well…"

She hesitated, seemingly fumbling for what to say next. Terra frowned slightly as he watched her closely. "That…what, Aqua?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. Terra began to grow concerned as her eyes blinked rapidly and her throat muscles worked. She looked away, ashamed of what her face was betraying. Suddenly, his best friend, the tough girl he had grown up with, fought alongside with - the girl who had boasted about being a tomboy at the age of eleven - began to cry. She tried to hold it in, but it wasn't working. He could see pools of tears that were making her eyes glassy. She snuffled and bowed her head with her hands covering her lower face.

"I'm sorry, Terra," she sobbed.

He wanted to reach out to her; to comfort her. He knew being emotional wasn't really Aqua, but crying was nothing to be sorry about. He wanted to tell her so, but he was rooted, almost frozen, in place. He just watched her as she slowly began to compose herself.

"Sorry… What I was going to say was…" she took a couple of deep breaths before proceeding, "… was that I just feel, know that with you being here, with us… just like it had been at home before everything happened… I just know it was no accident. I mean… it was a big deal to see you standing there with Ven, like nothing had happened… like everything had been okay the whole time… and I just feel that - that it's a second chance for all of us." A few stray tears fell rolled down her cheeks.

"We didn't part in the best ways. I know you were battling things inside and I know you felt like I betrayed you… but we're back together, with Ven. And I just, well, I want to start over. I want things to be like they were before Master Xenahort was every anybody to us…"

She finished her fragmented speech by wiping her damp cheeks. Terra just stared, wondering what she would say next.

"So…" she shrugged. "So if you want to go do something - with me and Ven, or just one of us, it doesn't matter - then that would be okay."

Terra nodded wordlessly as Aqua smiled one last time before wiping away a few last tears and began walking away. He could hear the sounds of sniffling echoing down the hall of the house they were all staying in. he closed his door, still silent, still a bit stunned by her words and emotions. Slowly he sat back down on his bed to ponder what had just occurred between the two of them.

They hadn't parted well, he did know that. Betrayal? There was no such thing. He had known that what she had said and done back then was out of concern for his well-being. He had realized that back at the Keyblade Graveyard, but there was no way he could tell her or thank her for caring so much.

Images began flashing in his mind from memories repressed. Images of Aqua struggling, begging him to fight the darkness. Images of Aqua trying to convince him that Eraqus loved him, and finally, some very faint of her holding him as he sank into the abyss, reminding him that she would always be with him. She had done all that, as well as saving him from certain death. He could still feel her arms hugging him tightly that day they were all reunited.

There weren't enough words in all the worlds or in all the books that could express how much he was indebted to his friend.

Suddenly, he smiled. "Start over… Sounds like a great idea to me."

As he shifted his sitting position on the bed, he felt a sharp object poke the side of his thigh. Whatever it was, it was small and had five points. He pulled the star charm that Aqua had given him out of his pocket.

A quiet chuckle rose from inside. "Sounds like a _really _great idea!"

He leapt from the bed, swung the door open and called out. "Aqua? Aqua!"

The woman in question emerged from two doors down. "What? What's wrong?"

He ran up to her, holding out the charm. "I want to start over too. How about we go get something to eat tomorrow?"

Aqua grinned. "I'm all for it! Does this include Ven as well?"

Terra smirked. "Nah. I think this is definitely an Aqua and Terra occasion. For catching up, ya know."

Aqua innocently folded her arms behind her. "So… what time shall we commence this 'catching up'?"

"Oh, around six, I think."

"A bit early, isn't it?"

"C'mon, Aqua. You know what I mean."

She laughed. "Yeah, I know. Should I dress nice?"

"Better be on the safe side."

She shook her head, smiling. "With the way we're talking, it sounds like a date or something."

She stopped. They stared at each other.

"Well, maybe it is," he said quietly.

**ooo**

"Favorite color?"

Aqua rested her chin on her hand, amused at their little questionnaire. They were sitting across from each other at a quaint little restaurant in Radiant Gardens.

"Believe it or not, I like orange," Terra answered. An impish smile came across his face.

She snickered. "Seriously?"

"Yeah! I personally think I look good in the color," he bragged, flashing a grin that was celebrity-worthy. It felt good to just sit and talk about nothing.

"I didn't know that!" she interjected.

Terra nodded.

"Well, mine is actually blue, believe it or not!"

"I never would have guessed!" he gasped. They laughed as Aqua shrugged shamelessly at her lack of originality.

"My turn!" Terra leaned forward. "Let's see, how about favorite flower?"

She blinked. "Flower, is it? Well, I guess it would have to be orchids. Yeah, I really like orchids."

"Wow, orchids, huh? Not sure I even know what they look like," he rubbed the back of his head, a bit embarrassed.

"Oh geez, Terra. I did plant some back at the gardens of Land of Departure!"

"Hey, that was a long time ago! Gimme a break!"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well, I guess that's true. I'll have to show you them sometime. They're especially lovely when they're purple." A thoughtful smile came upon her face.

"Hmm…" he began stirring his coffee with a spoon.

Aqua picked at her food for a minute or two before beginning another question.

"When was it that you began having problems with the darkness?"

Terra's head jerked up from looking at the black liquid. "That's not part of the game."

Aqua smiled mischievously. "It's the first time doing this, there are not rules."

Terra couldn't help but smile back and ducked his head, thinking of an answer. It was an awkward question, and more than a little personal. But he figured she had asked it because she cared.

"Look, Terra, I'm just asking as a friend, because, maybe if I had known back then me, or Ven, could have helped you…"

Terra still hesitated.

"Maybe it wasn't an exact date or time, but can you think of a moment, perhaps? An event?"

"Yes," he said quietly. Aqua watched him silently, waiting for further information.

"It began one night when I awoke from those nightmares I had, and I didn't tell you so you could tell me everything was okay."

That surprised Aqua a little. She began thinking back to the days when they were kids. Terra's nightmares had begun back then, maybe two years or so after Aqua's mother had left her to Master Eraqus' care. It all came back to her...

**ooo**

_She was seven years old, laying in her bed at the Land of Departure. After two years living with Master Eraqus and his protégé Terra, she had gotten to adapt and even love her new surroundings. She had even found a friend in Terra, even though he was a snotty-nosed, cooty-infected boy._

_It was on that night, when she was on the verge of sleep, that she heard quiet sobs coming from down the hall. Being seven, curiosity was her best bud, and Aqua immediately hopped out of bed and went to see who was crying. The sounds were coming from Terra's room. He was sitting up in his bed, clutching the covers. When he saw Aqua's blue head peeking into his room, he quickly turned his back to her. But that didn't stop Aqua._

"_Terra, are you okay?" She walked up to his bedside._

"_I'm fine," a muffled voice came from under the blankets._

"_If you were fine, you wouldn't be crying," the girl said matter-of-factly. _

"_Just go away!" he hissed._

"_No, I want to see you're okay."_

_Aqua hopped onto the bed and leaned over her friend. He stayed stubbornly quiet. _

"_Aw, c'mon, Terra! I'm your friend! You can tell me."_

_There was a pause before the boy turned over. He wiped away tears before speaking._

"_I had a bad dream. It was so… real, and very scary."_

_Motherly instincts kicked in. She scooted under the covers and hugged her friend. _

"_Well, it's over now, Terra. I'm here and I will stay with you."_

_Little Terra sniffed. "You will?"_

_Little Aqua smiled. "I promise."_

_Terra smiled back and nestled in the arms of his best friend. They fell asleep hand in hand._

_The nightmares continued to plague Terra throughout his youth and even his teen years. Aqua was always there to tell him it was over, and that it was only a nightmare. She could remember another event of the same nature when she was around fifteen or sixteen and Terra was a year older. She had gotten up one night for a glass of water when she noticed her friend's door was open. Usually, Terra kept his door closed. Aqua paused. Should she check on him or not? Lately, things had been a bit different between them, but that was partly due to their growing up._

_On an impulse, Aqua knocked on his open door and peered around as she had done when she was seven. She saw her friend sitting on the side of his bead, head in his hands. _

"_T-Terra?" she placed her glass on a dresser. "Is everything all right?"_

_He didn't answer her, but he did move his hands down to look at her. Aqua walked up to him and knelt down placing her hands on his knees. _

"_Was it another bad dream?"_

_He slid he hands away from his face and look at his feet. "Yes."_

_Next thing he knew, she had her arms wrapped around his neck. He slowly wrapped his around her waist. _

"_It's over. You're okay," she reassured him. "I'm here."_

Aqua remembered staying like that for several more minutes until she awkwardly pulled away and wordlessly left his room with a smile. But if she remembered correctly, Terra had a smile on his face too. Now back to reality, Aqua sighed and placed her hand on his.

"After that, did you distance yourself from me and Ven intentionally?"

Terra frowned a little and sighed himself. "Somewhat," he admitted.

"Why?"

He looked up into her eyes and leaned a little closer.

"I don't know, Aqua. I just … things weren't right. The darkness grew stronger, and instead of asking for my friends' help, I foolishly listened to Xenahort because of my pride and shame… I just lost sight of the light, I guess."

He felt her squeeze his hand.

"Let me help you. You've overcome the worst darkness, and now you can see the light again! Both me and Ven can help you!"

He smiled and covered her hand with his. "Thanks, Aqua. Don't know what I would do without you. . ."

A slight flush of red covered her cheeks. He could tell she was embarrassed and it made his smile wider.

**ooo**

It was several nights later when Aqua was getting ready for bed that she thought back to their discussion on that… date/outing/thing. After that day, Terra had gotten back to his usual self. He was joking around with Ven (when Terra wasn't pulling pranks on Ven) and he was treating her like they had been all those years back. He had even used the old teasing line: "Sometimes you are such a girl."

Gosh. She didn't think such a small phrase would bug her, but it did. True, she had been a tomboy growing up, but that was in the past. She wasn't a tomboy anymore, or even a girl. She was a grown woman. But did Terra notice this? Of course not. He was a guy, and it seemed that all guys were slow with these kind of things. Well, whatever the case, she'd deal with that problem later. Now was the time for sleep.

_Oh, Terra. You're hopeless, _she thought before drifting off to sleep.

**ooo**

A couple of hours later, Aqua was caught in a deep slumber when she began to feel a strange light-headed sensation, as if floating on air. The sensation broke her sleep and she began waking up. As her eyes slowly opened, she realized that something hard was wrapped around her back and legs.

_Wait a minute… Is someone - carrying me?_

It was true. What was holding her were actually the hard, muscled biceps of a man. A man who was carrying her. She stiffened, prepared to beat the living crap out of whoever this person was. Before striking, though, she decided that she wanted a glimpse of her supposed captor. To her surprise, the man carrying her was Terra. Relief followed by confusion overwhelmed her and her eyes never left his face. He looked down at her several times, not smiling but not threatening. Even though Aqua had no idea what he was going to do, she trusted him completely.

The walk seemed to take forever, until she noticed Terra turning into a room. His bedroom. She stiffened again as thoughts began spiraling around in her head. What was he doing?

_Whatever he's doing, I'm sure it won't be anything I would disagree with._

He placed her gently down on the bed and she lay there, very still, watching him intently. Her heart was pounding as they stared into each other's eyes. Then, Terra laid down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and nestled his head into her neck. She responded by placing her hand on his arm.

Aqua felt like crying, but she remained quiet, stroking his arm, comforting him. She could feel his chest rise and descend slowly. Up and down. Up and down. Then, she heard him whisper,

"I had a bad dream."

The hand stroking his arm reached over to touch his face.

"It's over now," she whispered back.

Terra heaved a contented sigh and snuggled closer to her. His hair tickled her chin and she still could feel his chest slowly going up and down. A few moment passed until she knew he was sound asleep. It was almost like it had been back when they were children. And yet, it was not.

She looked at the man holding her and wrapped her arm around him, resting her cheek against his temple. For the first time, she felt truly content… at peace.

"It's over now, Terra. I'm here and I will always be here. Everything will be all right."

And she believed it. The darkness would no longer bother him like it had before. Perhaps this could be the beginning of something new - like a deeper relationship. She smiled at the thought as she fell asleep in the arms of the man who held her heart, and together they slept peacefully all through the night.


End file.
